reach a dead end

1. Literally, to reach the end of a route where one cannot continue traveling. I knew my GPS was wrong when I reached a dead end.

2. By extension, to reach a point after which no more progress is possible, as in a project. My research has reached a dead end—every experiment I've tried so far has failed.

See also: dead, end, reach

See also:

a blind alley
blind alley
blind alley, (up) a
rope
end of story
at the end of the line
anticipointment
stick it to the end
sign off
stick it

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